1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to swim lap counter-timers for swimmers and, more specifically, to a portable electronic lap counter and timer of the type having a touch panel for sensing swimmer arrival time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lap swimmers universally experience a problem remembering how many laps they have swum, especially while in the process of completing longer sets. Also representing a problem to swimmers, is the ability to ascertain the running time of a swim effort while performing the specific technicalities of a swim stroke, as well as obtaining split-times for individual laps in a set, or accurate total completion times. Aside from depending on assistance from another person, devices are available for swimmers to record such times themselves; however, those require swimmers to interrupt very technical swim-stroke maneuvers to press tiny buttons. Even then, this information is not available to the swimmer while performing a set without pausing or severely interrupting stroke mechanics to look at a wrist or finger-mounted recording device.
Other devices remain at one end of the pool and sense arrival of the swimmer by contact with a touch or kick panel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,569, issued September 20 to Tanaka, shows an electronic system for measuring swim time of a plurality of swimmers in competition. This system is not suitable for practice and does not provide immediate feedback to the swimmer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,428, issued Feb. 8, 1994 to Rosow et al., discloses a lap timer that remains at one end of the pool and includes a display just above the water surface attached to a piezoelectric touch pad that extends below the water surface to detect swimmer arrival, e.g., by sensing a kick-turn, or flip-turn, or the swimmer's touch. This device utilizes a bendable bracket to temporarily mount the device in cooperation with various pool configurations. The problem with using a bendable bracket is that it ultimately fails due to metal fatigue when trying to bend the bracket to accommodate different pool configurations. Furthermore, the position of the counter display above the water requires that the swimmer lift his or her head out of the water to view the display, which interrupts the swimmer's movements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,369, issued to Siegal et al. on Oct. 13, 1987, describes a pool lap counter having a small touch pad. The unit is laid flat on the pool deck with the display and a small touch pad positioned at the pool's edge. Use of this unit would interfere with a swimmer's movements and the display is not visible to the swimmer while he or she is swimming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,266, issued to Dawley on May 21, 1985, describes a lap counter and timer having a display and kick-pad housed in a rigid housing which is hung over the side of a pool. The display is positioned over the water surface while the kickpad is just beneath the water surface. The unit cannot accommodate a significant pool deck overhang and the display above the water surface is inconvenient for the swimmer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,763 issued Mar. 16, 1976 to Bejerwaltes, discloses a pressure sensitive pad for connection to a timing and indicating device for counting and timing swim laps. No particulars are mentioned with regard to the timing and display device. The pressure sensitive pad is hung on the gutter of a swimming pool wall. It is not suitable for, or readily adapted to, other pool configurations.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a lap swimming counter solving the aforementioned problems is desired.